Chapter Six

Violet was thankful for the cool atmosphere of the little market a few blocks from her house. Sweat trickled uncomfortably down the back of her neck as she walked into the squat, unassuming brick building. It was a small “ma and pop” joint ran by a not quite yet elderly couple and their three young adult children. The heat climbed in the past few hours and the air-conditioned environment was perfect. Originally hailing from the upper Midwest, Violet abhorred the heat.

She checked over some watermelons and other fruit when a voice startled her from behind.

“So it’s official this time?”

Violet turned and found herself face-to-face with Martin Decker.

“Marty! You scared me!” she gushed, her hand protectively going to her chest as if it would still the sudden hammering of her heart. “Yes, Peyton officially signed with Phenom today.”

“I just—I gotta ask somethin’,” he continued, his expression a mixture of sad bitterness, his mouth twisting down at the corners and his lips moving as though he’d tasted something especially sour.

“Sure,” Violet hoarsely replied, swallowing the sudden knot of fear in her throat.

“What’s he got that I don’t? Am I not good enough for you? For Phenom?”

She squirmed under the question. Confrontation was not her forte.

“It was never anything like that, Marty.”

“Yeah? Then why did Manny deny my request three months in a row?”

Her head reeled. His ire suddenly made sense; she hadn’t known that the fighter had been attempting to change gyms.

“I was never aware that you were trying to switch camps, Marty.”

“Is that right? You never heard anything about it, tight as you and Manny and Tay are? I don’t fucking buy it, Vi,” Marty snapped, blue eyes flashing icy flames. “What makes Ashley a better candidate than me?”

“Honest to god, Marty. I’m not usually in on the business end of things.”

“I’m supposed to believe that? It’s only personal because of Ashley, right?”

His outright jealousy triggered her anger and she decided she wasn’t going to back down.

“Yeah, actually. And Dezzy too. But I also know that there was a vacancy at welterweight on Phenom because Sybren Rook is retiring. Peyton fought for it and got it. As far as I know, there isn’t a middleweight slot open on Phenom—that’s Manny’s weight and two other guys, so it’s full,” she snapped, dropping the watermelon she’d been ogling back onto the pile in the bin.

“You had nothing to do with getting him signed?” Decker asked, his voice slightly softer.

“No. I never approached Manny about it. I was asked my opinion after they’d already been talking and that’s all. The only one I ever actively advocated for was Dezzy and that was well before I was even a part of Phenom.”

He was quiet a moment, his eyes searching.

“I…want out of Intimidation.”

She breathed a sigh of relief and rested a reassuring hand on his arm.

“I understand that, now.”

“It’s just—it’s a really bad place to be for any fighter who wants to be more than a stepping stone.”

She stood there and looked at him in silence for a moment, trying to gauge if what he said was genuine. His eyes were earnest and the inflection in his voice seemed real. Maybe it wasn’t just Peyton who was unsettled by the rules of that dirty gym. Maybe she’d been judging them all too harshly. She took a deep breath before continuing.

“If you want, I will see what I can do for you. I’ll talk to Manny and have him contact you. It might be a while before either of us gets back to you though. I’m prepping two fighters for Friday and then going on a mandatory respite for the following two weeks.”

“I’d really appreciate that,” Decker said, walking with her as she continued her shopping. “Why the mandatory respite?”

“Manny thinks I’m burnt out. I kinda agree, so—for two weeks, I’m leaving Vegas.”

“Just you, by yourself?” he asked, helping her as she hefted a large watermelon into her cart.

“No. Peyton and maybe Dezzy will be going too.”

He winced and quietly asked, “So you and him are—for real?”

“Yes. We are.”

He followed her in silence as she put some fresh herbs and chicken in her cart, then moved down the produce aisle to snag some vegetables. After a few moments had passed, she stopped and looked him dead in the eyes.

“My turn to ask you something,” she said, crossing her arms on the handrail of the cart and leaning on it.

“Alright,” he said.

“Were you in my apartment last night?”

“Uh, excuse me?” he asked, stopping and looking at her with sincere shock.

“Someone broke in last night. I had a feeling it might be someone from Intimidation trying to mess with either me or Peyton.”

“That’s insane! It wasn’t me—I was at the MGM Grand last night, watching the boxing event. I went with Destiny. You can ask her if you want.”

Violet shrugged, saying, “I believe you. Know of anyone from your gym that might be in on something like that?”

Marty bitterly laughed, “Yeah, the whole damn place.”

She sighed, “I figured as much.”

“What are you doing tonight?” he asked, changing gears.

“I actually need to hurry it up a little bit here. Peyton’s coming over to cook dinner and we might go catch a movie or something,” she honestly replied, checking the time on her phone.

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“Oh,” he softly said, sighing dejectedly. “That’s cool. I was just stopping in to get some beer before heading home. Gonna have a few of the guys over tonight and watch some baseball. I really appreciate you talking to Manny for me. Have fun tonight. Catcha ‘round.”

She took the hand he extended and shook it.

“See you soon, Marty.”

Violet waited until he was out of sight to continue shopping. She went through the aisles systematically, running through the checklist of items she knew Peyton would need before she proceeded to the checkout.

What a strange conversation. Decker had hounded her for months and she had always turned him down. She was civil when declining his advances but never outright hostile toward him. She well knew the advantages of having friends in this game. But, she kept him at a distance. He had seemed sincere but still something about the whole conversation bothered her. If Intimidation’s fighters were so eager to jump ship, it couldn’t have been good for the organization as a whole.

Manny usually kept her in the loop. Why hadn’t he said anything about Decker? If he’d been trying so hard to get into Phenom, she had to believe that Manny would have at least approached her about it. When it came to the fighters, Manny came to her often for her opinion. She’d become an integral part of every aspect of Phenom, something of which she was secretly proud.

She would have to talk to him later, she thought, committing her questions and promise to memory for later retrieval. She mulled over it on her drive home. Should she tell Peyton about the confrontation and Decker’s request? Would he be able to be objective?

She had a gut feeling that Peyton’s possessiveness over her might lead to opinions colored green by jealousy. She decided for the moment to keep it to herself. She’d talk to Manny before she talked to anyone, to see if there was any truth in Decker’s claims.

She found herself in her designated home parking spot before she emerged from the depth of her thoughts. Sighing, she opened the door and proceeded to take out her groceries. She quickly glanced around the parking lot and noted somewhat happily that Peyton wasn’t there yet.

Good. It would give her time to get things set up for him. She quickly ascended the stairs, fueled anew by the anticipation of being alone with him once more.

It was nice to feel that way again. To look forward to coming home and not being alone. Violet closed the door behind her, setting her groceries on the kitchen island, then fished her phone out of her pocket. She felt as though she should at least invite her brother over for dinner. She hit number one on her speed dial and it automatically called Dezzy.

The phone rang twice before he picked up.

“Hey! I was just going to call you. What are you and Peyton up to tonight?” he answered cheerily.

“I was just going to ask you over for dinner with us. Peyton’s cooking.”

“Oh right on! I’ve got Brie with me. We were talking about a double date but dinner at your place sounds like a good plan,” Dezzy said.

Violet knew he couldn’t resist Peyton’s particular brand of fried chicken.

“I thought so. Figure on being here in about an hour?”

“Will do. Love ya, see ya, bye.”

“Love ya, see ya, bye.”

As she turned to start putting away the groceries, a flurry of movement in the extreme edge of her vision caught her attention.

But she reacted too late.

*****

The ceiling shifted and undulated in a bright, confusing array of every color imaginable until a form stood above her. A human face peered back at her, the background behind them blurred and shifted, like the air was made of multi-colored water in some sort of crazy, cosmic whirlpool. She couldn’t discern any identifying features in their face, only that she had the distinct impression that it was female.

“We see you, daughter. A choice is to be made,” an otherworldly voice said in her head.

It belonged to the creature hovering above her, its face barely visible, but the lips had not moved. Its eyes bored into hers, oddly beautiful swirls of rainbow hues, never just one color. Violet watched its enormous black wings spread and flap once, the wind of the wingbeat hitting her face in a cool puff of air. Violet tried to sit up but found herself paralyzed. Panic slammed into her and she frantically shifted her eyes, trying to figure out what the hell happened to her.

Was she dreaming? Why couldn’t she wake up?

A man in a mask appeared in her vision then, his dark eyes cold and hateful. His gloved hand wiped a large hunting knife on the upper arm of his shirt, the black serrated blade dripping crimson. The man straddled her, moving through the strange, winged form as if they were nothing but vapor.

“Say hi to Manny for me,” the cruel lips twisted out the words and his fist slammed full into Violet’s unprotected forehead.

Violet saw stars and suddenly, everything fell away. She existed in white nothingness, floating yet simultaneously moored to the spot. The winged figure appeared again, as though coalescing from the ambient white fog that swirled around them.

“What just happened?” Violet shakily asked, her voice as tremulous as the rest of her body felt.

“There is a choice to be made,” the creature said again.

“What choice do I have? Am I the one making it?”

“You have been chosen.”

“Well that’s helpful,” Violet quipped.

“Don’t be a petty child,” the creature admonished, though there was an amused quality to the strange, ethereal voice.

“Did I just die?”

“Is that the choice you wish to make?”

“No! I don’t want to die!”

“Then choose,” the figure said, moving away suddenly, the great black raven’s wings spreading wide.

“May I ask some clarifying questions first?” Violet asked, bewildered.

“From this moment, you may ask three. Three is all I am allowed to answer,” the creature said, dropping the hood that covered most of its face from view.

She was beautiful. Dark skin and dark, shining straight hair, with strange cat-like, rainbow-colored eyes, high cheek bones and a straight, perfect nose. Her full lips spread in a devastatingly lovely smile, revealing bright white teeth with pointed canines, like some sort of winged vampire.

Violet considered her questions carefully.

“If I don’t want to die, how will I continue to live?” she asked at length.

The creature’s smile widened.

“You will choose to come with me.”

Violet bit her lip. Not the answer she was expecting. It only gave her about a thousand more questions to ask and she could only ask two. She sighed as she deliberated over the next question.

“Will my family and friends be okay without me?”

The creature’s smile faded and she looked down. Violet followed her gaze and saw her own body laying there beneath them. Blood pooled under her back. Ugly bruising covered her face from where whoever had attacked her hit her. Repeatedly, it appeared. She didn’t remember the blows.

“Your body will remain. Your soul will not. Not until it’s time to go back.”

Violet sighed, “Cryptic much. Thanks. But you didn’t answer my question.”

“They will go on. As all who lose those they love must.”

“When will I be able to come back?” Violet asked.

The creature’s smile returned as she said, “When the All Father deems it necessary.”

Violet rolled her eyes. This had to be a dream. A nightmare. She must have dozed off after getting groceries. Peyton would be there soon and—

“Vi! Oh God no, Vi! Vi!”

Violet watched as Peyton entered the scene below them and more of her apartment, still not quite fully corporeal, came into focus. The floor around her bleeding, battered body. The car keys lying next to her outstretched hand. Peyton knelt beside her and checked her pulse with one hand while the other smoothed her disheveled hair away from her face.

“Vi! Can you hear me? Stay with me Vi!” he cried, fumbling in his pocket for his phone.

They watched as he dialed 911, put the phone on speaker, and grabbed the first aid kit from under the kitchen sink. He started assessing her injuries as he relayed the scene to the emergency dispatcher. They watched as he turned her body over and saw the grave injuries the knife had wrought on the soft tissues of her back and into her spine.

“It is time to choose. Will you heed the Raven’s call?” the creature softly asked.

“But I can’t leave him like this!” Violet sobbed, trying to move closer to Peyton but still paralyzed.

“If you wish to see him again while you both still live, you will choose to come with me.”

“And what happens if I don’t?” Violet asked.

“Three questions have been allowed, three questions have been asked, and three questions have been answered,” the creature icily replied. “Choose. Now.”

“Okay okay okay!” Violet screeched.

“Will you heed the Raven’s call?”

“If that means coming with you, yes. I’ll heed the Raven’s call.”

The creature held out her hand, something distinctly avian about its odd structure and Violet realized she could finally move. She hesitated for just a second, looking back as Peyton struggled to stem the bleeding from her injuries.

“There is nothing else you can do here,” the creature said. “Come away, child.”

Violet reluctantly placed her hand in the strangely birdlike hand of the creature. The world fell away again, streaming, streaking, undulating. Time and space no longer existed and neither did she. As though they emerged from a tunnel, a bright light broke through and blinded them, and then…

There simply was nothing.